Day 7

We made it! 305 miles in all Todays highlights included a fairly hair raising cycle down the Champs Elysee including a cycle round the Arc de Triomphe along with about 8 other lanes of traffic ! A little yellow jacket in the middle was Colin leading us all! We arrived into Paris on various cycle tracks mainly along The Seine - including some rather seedy areas Pushed the bikes up over an interesting bridge over a canal and watched some huge barges manoevering  Stopped for coffee in Macdonalds which was an old station building and  finally we arrived at Notre Dame and drank a bottle of Pink Fizz to mark our achievement. Colin navigated us through Paris with a piece of paper strapped to his cross bar with Micropore tape with all the clues he needed written on it ! We now have a day in Paris to recover before starting for home 

Day 6

Great night at Fab House - breakfast with freshly squeezed orange Initially  had to negotiate steps and what looked like part of a wall to get out of the town but once on the road sped off to Chantilly which is a spectacular sight Cycled on through minor roads - very gentle - coffee stop and award winning boulangerie at Beaumont on the river Oise Huge cakes! The track had a barrier across at one point which we managed to ignore and clamber round this was followed by a quick detour before lunch as the GPS failed Colin. Nikki spotted a sign after a few miles of scooting down the main road and we were back on track Lunch by the River Oise then a gentle meander along to the confluence with The Seine There were a few working barges on both rivers and some industry on the banks as we approached Paris Cycled through the Forest St Germaine and arrived at an interesting little hotel Les Terres Blanche which looked like a converted warehouse.

Beer in the small courtyard -well earned after 50 miles !

Meal in an interesting Portugese restaurant near the hotel - cheap with great food but' Meine Host ' was an interesting character The place was empty but I think we were too much trouble! 

Really top class breakfast at the hotel before heading off on the final push to Paris

Day 5

Escaped the Campanile without incident Colin guided us back to the track - no rush hour traffic this time! Cycled on cycle track near the road and eventually found a coffee stop with near boulangerie for a well earned rest after 15 miles Onwards into a headwind for another hour. Steve -the rear admiral -was promoted to the front to give us a tow!

Sandwich lunch on a patch of grass then onwards through lovely undulating forest Finally arrived in an old town Senlis Staying in Fab House - the owner is called Fabian - A lovely recently modernised B&B. Quick beer in the town Colin headed back for a shower whilst we headed to the supermarket for a diy dinner  back at The Ranch When we got back the gate was locked and all we got on the phone was Colin's answer phone! Luckily we raised Fabian and he let us in ! 45 more miles completed Only 1 and a bit days and we'll hit Paris 

Day 4

A lovely and almost uneventful day Sun and clouds - definitely getting warmer Started on  Ave Verte until coffee at Forges Les Eaux  then a rather hilly section on small roads until lunch Colin had another puncture which gave us all a nice rest ! Had a sandwich lunch in Gournay en Bray then found another old railway track for 20 miles The fun started trying to find the hotel which was a Campanile in the industrial area of Beauvais - all I can say is traffic and main roads ! Anyway we arrived in one piece and usual standard of Campanile - a real contrast to last nights farmhouse but perfectly good for purpose About 58 miles in all but nothing like as hard as a Day 2 

Day3

Left hotel 7 30 with a 'take away ' breakfast which was a ham and cheese sandwich and 'Monster Munch' Quick cycle to Newhaven along coast road then a rest on the ferry for a few hours Colin navigated us through Dieppe and joined Ave Verte to Paris 20 miles later arrived at a Farmhouse B&B which was quirky but lovely Reviewd mentioned the owner greeting people with a Buck Rifle and chasing them away - we had none of that luckily It was a long bumpy ride down the drive to get there but well worth it The rooms were in a converted barn but all interesting Had a beer in the garden followed by a meal in the cheese making cellar - all very French ! Lots of noisy geese but thoroughly enjoyable stay 

Day 2

' Only 45 miles tomorrow ' That was what we thought and infact we only did 45 miles ish but it involved cycling up what felt like Everest before lunch Stopped for coffee in a pub called The Catt - really nice landlady called Debbie She was closed but made us coffe and gave us a packet biscuits £5 the lot Had lunch in Waitrose cafe before starting off along The Cuckoo Trail - a lovely disused rain way line Saw some Alpacas out for a walk ! We then took an uphill track ' which can be a bit muddy in wet weather ' Colin ended up on his back in a holly bush and Tim and Steve up to their axles in mud! We then hit some tarmac only to find Colin had a puncture ! the Holly bush may have had something to do with it Got going again only to find ourselves cycling uphill again across a field full of sheep Eventually hit Seaford and after getting help from a couple of taxi drivers found The White Lion and had some well earned beers A much harder day than the first despite the shorter distance Tomorrow we're off to France Early start to catch the Newhaven Dieppe ferry 

Day 1

Early start with 5am alarm Left with Mike Towner in tow and made excellent time to London - parking in a taxi rank just behind The Eye at 8 10 Nikki and Colin cycled in just as we off loaded the bikes and soon we were on our way over Lambeth Bridge and back over Chelsea Bridge then slowly we made our way through the back streets - eventually hitting open ground at Clapham Common. Cycled on through various parks linked by stretches of minor road until we found a coffee stop at Deer Farm 

- a city farm . Not the quickest service as the place was staffed by 'volunteers' but lovely cake and hot drinks. Onwards determined to hit 30 miles before lunch 

Finally stopped at The Farmhouse pub - for sandwiches Cycled over M25,round Gatwick and over M23 through East Grinstead before stopping for the night at 

Brambletye Hotel 54 miles in all